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enlarged pancreas

i am terribly crushed, as I just had to put down my beloved 13 1/2 year old dachsund last Sunday.  A couple of weeks ago he just started to refuse food.  After four days of not eating and some meds from our vet, he was hospitalized.  They said he was doing great and could find nothing wrong with his blood work.  He seemed to be straining and always trying to have a bowel movement without much success.Although at times he would produce a very thin poop which was black in color.  They did x-rays and an ultrasound but found nothing.  A week later after still not eating he was readmitted and with another ultrasound found that his pancreas was larger than it was on the first ultrasound a week earlier.  The conclusion was that they had no idea what was wrong.  He was not vomiting, and did not have a blockage in his intestines.  They said that there was no infection or inflamation, and if it were cancer that he should have been vomiting. But of course, when there is no answer, it all points to cancer. Still no fever and blood work o.k. but he did have blood show up in his stool.  Since he would not eat we were giving him injectables at home.  Pepcid, prilosec, cernia and other anti nausea meds, plus a slurry of some kind to coat his stomach.  At night he started to moan and cry and could not get comfortable.  After one night and half of the next day it became apparent that I couldn't let him suffer any more.  I loved him too much to make him stay here in so much pain, so we let him go.  We are totally devastated and without any answers.  Could he have had cancer and not all of the symptoms?  Would it have killed him in just two to three weeks?  Is it a possibility that he could have had some kind of poison in his system,  or would that have affected his blood work and shown up in organ functions?  I'm devastated!!!!
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675347 tn?1365460645
COMMUNITY LEADER
You're right. Dogs and cats (and other animals too) do grieve when they lose a beloved companion, be that human, or fellow-creature. And just like humans, they have a grieving process which is important to go through. No doubt they feel differently about their loss than we do, and the stages of grieving different, but it's still there.
Right now, another pet could be rejected. And that would be sad. Give it time, go with your instincts.
You know what I find? If there is a lot of love for animals, then opportunities present themselves at exactly the right time.
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Avatar universal
Thank you for the comments of support.  It really helps when you have other people to support you in your decision to end your friends suffering.  He is truly missed every day.  I really feel that it was the right thing to do, but it is so hard because you keep second guessing yourself when there are no answers.  I would love to give another dog a home, but at this time it is not only me grieving.  When I lost my dachsund, my other dog also lost her best friend.  I also have a 13 year old boxer who is quite lost and alone and my vet isn't quite sure that replacing my little guy is the right answer, right now.  So, we will probably wait a little longer.  If anything I would adopt an old senior citizen dog that has very little chance of anyone wanting him.  Thanks again for the support
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675347 tn?1365460645
COMMUNITY LEADER
Stools that are black in colour do indicate some form of  bleeding in the gut tract somewhere higher up.
The vet wasn't terribly sure, but my guess is that he did have some kind of tumor or cancer.
It would only have got worse, so really I do think you did the kindest, most sensible thing. You waited, you hung on, you tried this and that, you did your very best....and still he was not getting better -only worse. We can't stand by and watch them suffer so much with no hope for a good outcome. We have to set them free.

I do know how sad this is, when a dog dies. It is one of the saddest things I have ever known, but you were very brave and put his welfare first.
God bless.
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1388999 tn?1370042814
Hi i am so sorry for your loss ....I know so well how you feel.
Cancer comes in many different forms ,it could have been there for a while and then towards the end the symptoms come.
This is how some cancers work,everyone gets affected differently No one is the same so no cancer is the same.You did the right thing putting him to sleep before he really had a lot of pain .

He was a good age,  you loved him and he was happy ....it was his time.

I hope you can find it in your heart to give another dog a loving home as there are so many out there that are mistreated.It will be so good for another small soul to come into your life and bring    just some of the joy  again that you received from your little guy.
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